Flying target with air screw and disc separable by projectile impact



April 1965 A. DE FERDINANDO 3,176,933

FLYING TARGET WITH AIR SCREW AND DISC SEPARABLE BY PROJECTILE IMPACT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1963 M EWN Aprll 1955 A. DE FERDlNANDO 3,176,988

FLYING TARGET WITH AIR SCREW AND DISC SEPARABLE BY PRQJECTILE IMPACT Filed May 20, 3.963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,176,?83 FLYENG TARQET WlTH AER SQREW AND DESQ SEPARAELE Bit iihfidhtl'llilll llMlPA C'i Albert de Ferdinando, 70 Rue du Colonei, Sevran, France Filed May 2%, 1963, Ser. No. 231,662 Qiaims priority, appiication France, Qct. 11, 1962, 911,998; Apr. 2, 1963, 930,176 7 (Ilaims. ((Ii, 273--l@5.4)

test disc to said air screw, said means being arranged to become inoperative under the effect of an impact on the target of a projectile, such as a shot or a bullet, this release by the securing means having for its effect to separate the test disc from the supporting air screw, thus constituting a witness of good shooting.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention Will be hereinafter described with reference to the appended drawings, given merely by way of example, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows in elevational view a flying target according to the present invention, the two portions of this target being shown separately from each other;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of this target seen from under;

FIG. 3 is a side view, in axial section on the left hand side, of the flying target of FIG. 1, the two portions of said target being assembled together.

in order to provide a flying target for shooting practice and competition of the pigeon shooting type, the flying target according to this invention comprises the following elements:

(a) On the one hand, a test disc 1 of conventional size in the form of a circular cap the bottom of which, of stepped shape, is surrounded by a cylindrical side portion 1 which test disc is made for instance of a plastic material and is obtained by moulding;

(b) A carrying air screw 2 the blades of which are, in the example shown, rigid with a hub 3 provided with means for adapting it on the launching apparatus, this hub comprising for instance a central portion provided with a circular hole 4 adapted to fit on the rotating head 5 of the launching apparatus (visible on FIG. 3), said cen tral portion being connected with the roots of the air screw blades through arms in which are provided orifices 6 adapted to receive the driving fingers 7 of the launching apparatus 5; and

(c) A support for test disc 1, which support may be formed by the supporting air screw proper but which, in the example shown, consists of a ring 8 rigid with said supporting air screw and on which test disc ll may be fixed in a detachable manner through suitable means, said support and/or said fixation means being adapted to break under the effect of an impact on the target of the projectiles that are used; such a breaking releases test disc 1 which then separates from the supporting air screw 2 and constitutes a proof of the validity of the shooting that has produced this separation.

Advantageously, as shown, supporting ring 3 has an inner diameter corresponding substantially to the outer diameter of test disc i, that is to say to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 1,, of said test disc.

Preferably, as shown, the supporting air screw 2 is arranged in such manner that the ring 3 thereof coaxially surrounds the hub 5 thereof, while passing substantially 3,1753% Patented Apr. d, 1965 through the roots of the air screw blades, said ring 8 thus serving to improve the rigidity of the air screw, in particular when the latter is made, as shown, in the form of a single unit of a plastic material obtained by moulding.

Advantageously the supporting air screw 2 and the test disc 1 are made of different colors forming a contrast be tween them.

Still to facilitate marking, the test disc conveniently may be provided with a supply of soot or any other coloring powder for forming a trail behind the disc once it has been separated from the air screw.

For night shooting the target conveniently may be coated with a phosphorescent composition.

Concerning now the relative positions to be occupied by test disc 1 and supporting ring 8, the lower edge of the cylindrical portion 1;, of said test disc is substantially flush with the upper edge of said supporting ring so that the test disc 1 is not engaged in supporting ring 8 and that these two elements cooperate together, when the target is in the air, only through the fixation means serving to secure test disc 1 in a detachable manner to supporting ring 8.

in order to obtain this result, it sufiices to provide on the inner side of the top edge of supporting ring 8, inwardly extending projections upon which rests the lower edge of the cylindrical portion 1 of test disc 1.

As it has been stated above, release of the test disc may be obtained either by breaking ring 8 or by breaking the means for fixing test disc 1 to said supporting ring, or again in both ways simultaneously.

The following description relates, by Way of particu larly advantageous example, to the case where release of the test disc 1 is to be obtained only by breaking supporting ring 3.

in this case, it is of interest to provide supporting ring 3 with local weakened portions which may be constituted for instance by straight grooves 811, preferably located some in the inner wall and some in the outer wall of ring 8, as visible on FIG. 2.

Concerning now the means for securing test disc 1 on supporting ring 8, it is possible in the present embodiment, where release of the disc is due exclusively to the breaking of said supporting ring, to make said fixation means relatively strong and to arrange them in such manner that they are automatically released by the expansion undergone by supporting ring 8 when it is broken.

For instance, said fixation means may consist of diametrally opposed lugs 1 rigid with the cylindrical portion 1,, of test disc 1 and extending downwardly so as to project from said portion 1 over a length corresponding approximately to the height of supporting ring 8. Each lug 1;, comprises a bent end 1,, adapted to engage in a cone sponding notch Iii provided in the lower edge of ring 8.

In order to fix the test disc 1 on the target, said test disc is brought opposite ring 8 so that fixation lugs 1 are located opposite notches It). Said fixation lugs are then resiliently deformed so as to engage in supporting ring 8 until the ends 1 of said lugs engage resiliently in the corresponding notches it It should be noted that, if the device were made merely as above described, the rotation movement of test disc 1 would be imparted thereto, when launching the target, exclusively through the bent portions 1,, of fixation lugs 1 which might break prematurely.

In order to obviate such a risk, it is advantageous to make use of at least one of the two features which will now be described.

According to the first of these features, the inner wall of fixation ring 8 is provided, opposite the sides of fixa tion lugs l with projections 11 serving to transmit the rotary movement to the test disc. Thus the fixation lugs are protected against tangential bending. Of course, if

it is desired'to be able to rotate the target in either direction, every fixation lug 1 is to cooperate with two projections 11 as shown by FIG. 2. 7

According to the second of said features, test disc 1 is provided on the inside thereof withtwo projections 12 located opposite the driving fingers 7 of the launching head, said lugs being provided with axial holes 13 adapted to accommodate the ends of fingers 7, as shown by FIG. 3. Thus fingers 7 serve to drive simultaneously both the supporting air screw and the test disc.

As will be apparent, the test disc conveniently might be adapted directly 'on the supporting air screw for instance by glueing or by engagement of fixation means into orifices provided, for instance, in the roots of the blades, or again by engagement of the cylindrical portion of the test disc in grooves suitably provided in the supporting air screw.

In a general manner, while the above description discloses what is deemed to be a practical and efiicient embodiment of the invention, said invention is not limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts Without departing from the principle of the invention as comprehended within the scope of the ap-pended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A flying target which comprises, in combination, a disc, a supporting air screw, a ring carried by said air screw coaxial with said air screw, and means extending between 'said disc and the periphery of said ring for detachably securing said disc to said ring, said securing means being adapted to become inoperative in response to a projectile impact on said target.

2. A flying target which comrpises, in combination, a disc, a supporting air screw, a ring carried by said air screw coaxial with the air screw, and means extending between the disc and the periphery of the ring for securing said disc to said ring, said ring being adapted to break and thus to release said disc in response to a projectile impact on said target.

3. A flying target wihch comprises, in combination, supporting air screw, a cylindrical ring carried by said air screw coaxially therewith, said ring extending along the roots of the blades of said air screw, a disc in the form of a stepped cap adapted to fit on the top edge of said ring, said ring being provided, on its bottom edge, with notches, resilient lugs carried by the periphery of said cap and extending beyond the lower edge thereof in the axial direction, the lower ends of said lugs being bent to fit in said notches for detachably securing said disc to said ring, said cylindrical ring being provided with grooves extending along generatrices thereof and being made of a material such that it breaks in response to a projectile impact on said target.

4. A flying target according to claim 3 further comprising abutments extending along the cylindrical wall of said ring and shaped and dimensioned to cooperate With said lugs to transmit rotary movement of said air screw about 7 its axis to said disc.

5. A flying target according to claim 3, further com prising at least one diametral member carried by said ring and provided with cylindrical holes parallel to the axis of said ring, for the rotary drive thereof, and projections carried by said discs and provided with cylindrical holes in line with said last mentioned holes.

6. A flying target which comprises, in combination, a disc member, and a supporting air screw member, one of said members having thereon resilient formations, the other of said members having portions formed to receive said resilient formations upon flexing thereof during assembly to be releasably retained thereby upon completion of the assembly operation so as to permit separation of said members in response to a projectile impact.

7. A flying target comprising, in combination, a disc, a supporting air screw having a portion of generally annular form with weakened sections spaced therearound to be fractured upon receiving an impact of predetermined strength, said disc and said portion of generally annular form being releasably secured together.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FLYING TARGET WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A DISC, A SUPPORTING AIR SCREW, A RING CARRIED BY SAID AIR SCREW COAXIAL WITH SAID AIR SCREW, AND MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID DISC AND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID RING FOR DETACHABLY SECURING SAID DISC TO SAID RING, SAID SECURING MEANS BEING AAPTED TO BECOME INOPERATIVE IN RESPONSE TO A PROJECTILE IMPACT ON SAID TARGET. 